MCHUGH: It’s time to abolish scandal-tarnished Canadian Senate

By ED McHUGH Buzz From The 'BurbsPublished February 18, 2013 - 12:15pm Last Updated February 18, 2013 - 12:51pm

Sen. Patrick Brazeau, shown on Parliament Hill last week, is on a leave of absence from the Senate. He faces assault and sexual assault charges and is being audited for Senate expense claims. (ADRIAN WYLD/The Canadian Press)

IT HAS OUTLIVED its usefulness and it’s time to get rid of it. Or, at the very least, somehow make it accountable to us — the voting public.

I am referring to the Canadian Senate.

I have held this view for quite a while, but the recent events involving Mike Duffy and Patrick Brazeau have sealed the deal for me.

In case you missed it, Duffy of Prince Edward Island and Brazeau of Quebec are under investigation for living expenses they have claimed as senators. two other senators, Mac Harb of Ontario and Pamela Wallin of Saskatchewan, are also under investigation by the committee that is auditing senators’ expenses.

That committee has hired the accounting firm Deloitte to look into the matter. Duffy, Brazeau and Harb have receive a living allowance because they historically claimed to permanently live more than 100 kilometres outside Ottawa. Critics accuse the trio of living primarily in the Ottawa area while claiming living allowance expenses for two residences.

Duffy owns a home in the Ottawa area and has a cottage on P.E.I. When interviewed in the media, neighbours have said they have rarely, if ever, seen Duffy in the province.

One YouTube contributor created the hilarious video clip titled The Eastern Bald Senator — Hinterland Who’s Who. Check it out at bit.ly/WzYJgJ.

Call me naive, but my spidey senses tell me that Deloitte should study the expenses of a few other senators just to ensure that due diligence is carried out.

Brazeau is also charged with assault and sexual assault. He will keep his seat and get paid but is on a leave of absence until the charges are dealt with. He will sit as an Independent because he has been removed from the Conservative caucus.

The Senate, combined with the House of Commons, makes up the Canadian Parliament. The Senate has 105 members who are technically appointed by the Governor General, but it is the sitting prime minister who decides who gets those seats.

The appointments are made to reward people who have supported the governing political party. Many times, these people were already doing political work they enjoyed.

A senator’s base salary is about $135,000 a year, plus benefits and expenses, and they serve until 75. It is better than winning a lottery.

The Senate costs taxpayers more than $100 million annually and sits about 70 days a year. The cost per day in session is just over $1.4 million.

Think of what we could do with that money — help balance our federal budget, transfer funds to rebuild crumbling municipal infrastructure or assist developing nations. Maybe we could decrease taxes. What a concept. The list of better ways to spend our hard-earned tax dollars is endless.

In defence of our prime minister, his government has referred legislation to the Supreme Court of Canada to determine if constitutional amendments are necessary to eventually have elected senators with defined terms.

My fear is that the creation of an elected Senate could lead to the same sort of government gridlock we witness in the United States.

We need to reduce the levels of government in our country. We use a disproportionate amount of resources to govern 35 million citizens.

We have had some conscientious, hard-working senators through the years. However, for the resources that are infused into the institution, the list of accomplishments can’t justify the expenditure.

Let’s have a national referendum on the topic and see where Canadians stand. If the results are as I predict, then let’s get rid of this outdated and expensive black hole and put the resources to better use.

Bedford resident and volunteer Ed McHugh teaches business at several post-secondary institutions.